Meadows: Demands AG Sessions Investigate Bruce Ohr’s Role with FBI
Sara Carter
Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC) sent a letter Tuesday to Department of Justice Attorney General Jeff Sessions demanding that Inspector General Michael Horowitz and recently appointed DOJ attorney, John Huber interview now embattled DOJ official Bruce Ohr and investigate “critical violations” in connection with the FBI’s handling the Russia investigation and the bureau’s process to obtain a highly secret warrant to spy on a short term-volunteer for the Trump campaign.
Meadows, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the letter Wednesday, which encourages both Huber, who was appointed last year by Session’s to investigate possible corruption in the FBI, and Horowitz to investigate the new findings on Ohr. Ohr has been demoted twice by the DOJ after it was discovered that he failed to inform his superiors that his wife, Nellie Ohr, was hired by the private research firm, Fusion GPS, to investigate Trump’s campaign. The research firm, which also hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile a dossier on Trump, was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign. Newly released documents reveal that both Bruce and Nellie Ohr had a long-time relationship with Steele and that the FBI was using Bruce Ohr as a backchannel for Steele who was dismissed by the FBI as an informant for leaking information to the media.
The idea that Bruce Ohr had 60 plus contacts…with Steele is deeply troubling and deserves further examination
Ohr testified to Congress that neither he nor his wife has been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, according to Meadows and several other congressional officials.
“During a series of transcribed interviews with witnesses central to our joint congressional investigation to these issues, we have learned of potentially critical information the OG and Mr. Huber should consider,” Meadows’ letter to Sessions states. “I write to encourage Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Huber to include Mr. Ohr’s involvement in these events in their parallel investigations, and his testimony has brought new concerns to light regarding whether the FBI and DOJ followed proper protocol in the fining of U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court applications related to Carter Page.”
Other Important Highlights from Meadows letter:
- A transcribed interview with DOJ Attorney Bruce Ohr “raises grave concerns related to his role as a conduit between Christopher Steele and the FBI as Steele compiled an opposition resea4rch dossier on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign. Ohr flagged instances in which the FBI and Department of Justice potentially broke from established protocol to further their investigation of the Trump campaign.”
- Ohr’s testimony revealed he had “recorded how the status of his wife, Nellie, as a contractor for Fusion GPS” presented a potential conflict of interest. “
- “In August 2016, months before the FISC approved FISA surveillance of Carter Page, Mr. Ohr recorded this apparent conflict of interest and his firsthand evidence of Mr. Steele’s bias.”
- According to Ohr’s testimony, none of this was included in the FISA application given to the secret courts.
- Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and other high-ranking officials at the DOJ signed off on the initial FISA application and subsequent renewals.
“The idea that Bruce Ohr had 60 plus contacts with Chris Steele, and may have served as a backchannel between Steele and the FBI/DOJ, even after Steele was supposedly terminated, is deeply troubling and deserves further examination,” stated Meadows. “My hope is that the Inspector General and Mr. Huber can thoroughly evaluate these additional facts so that we can provide the full truth to the American people about what occurred at their Justice Department on their taxpayer dime” he added.
